Book-holder



(No Model.) T. A. GRABTREE.

41300K HOLDER.

No. 2835576* A Patented Aug. 2 1, 1883K Rif/mm1. Hunan?? m lmulll l A N.vsvcns. Pmwmusmpmn wurm-gm.. nc.

THOMAS ALDIN CRBTBEE, OF EAST SURRY, MAINE.

4,eooK-H0LDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 283,576, datedAugustai, 1883.

Application filed April 5, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. CnilnrnEE, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Bast Surry, in the county of Hancock and Stateof Maine, have invented cert-ain new and .useful Improvements inBook-Holders; and I do hereby declare the following to be av full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse thesame, reference being had to the accompany, ing drawings, and to lettersor figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to a device for holding down the leaves of anopen book, its object being to provide alight, cheap, and handy deviceof this class, which sh all combine with its function of holding theleaves open and down thefurther oiiice of a point-er or marker, toassist the reader in following the printed lines or to designate theline or point where reading has been suspended or to which. attention isdesired to be directed.

Theinvention consists in a novel construction and combination of parts,which will be readily understood by referring to the accompanyingdrawings, -in connection. with the following particulardescription, andwhich will be definitely pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view oi' .my improvedbook-holder. Fie'. il is a front'view of an open hook having two suchholders applied thereto. Fig. 3 is a side view of the device with thejaws held open.

The letters A A designate two rigid clamping-jaws having handles orthumb and finger pieces .B B extending divergently therefrom.` C isV-shaped or semi-elliptic spring arranged between the handles B B, withits inner curve or concavity turned in the direction of the jaws and itsopposite ends secured to the handles, respectively, Aintermediat-ely oftheir length. so that the ends of the springs will serve as fulcra orpivotal points, upon which the handles may turn when their outer endsare pressed toward each other for the purpose oi" separating the jaws,which thc spring is adjusted to hold normallyin contact, or, at least,close to each other.

To thc inner face oi' one of the jaws-the jaw A. in the drawings-ispivoted one end of a finger or pointer, D, which may be swung laterallyrto bring its tip to any intermediate line or point of a page, to assistthe reader in keeping the place.7

' The letter E indicates an elastic band embracing the two handles. Thisband` should preferably have a tension somewhat stronger than that ofthe spring C, and it may be used in two capacities, one being to assistin pressing the jaws toward each other when applied to a heavy book, inwhich case the band will be adjusted close up to the jaws or to a pointbetween them and the attached ends of the spring, .while in its othercapacity the band serves to hold the jaws apart, andl in this case saidband is slipped back beyond the ends oi' the spring and near the ends ofthe handles, thus overcoming the tension of the spring and holding thejaws open, so that they may be readily applied to a book.

The manner of using my invention will be readily understood by referenceto Fig. 2 of the drawings. The outer ends of theV handles being pressedtogether, and the jaws thus opened, one of said jaws is placed behindthe back of the book and the jaw carrying the pointer is placed upon thefront oi' one of the opened leaves, the pointer ,being adjusted asdesired. each division of the open book, asshown.

Having nowdescribed my invent-ion and explained the manner of using thesame, Irwish it to be understood that I do vnot confine myself to theprecise construction and arrangement of parts as shown in the drawings,as

they may be obviously varied without depara,

ing from the principle of the invention. For instance, the spring Cmight be arranged with its outer or convex curve toward the jaws, andthe pointer 1n of the jaw.' I however prefer to turn the concavity ofthe springtoward the jaws, as this arrangement enables the jaws to beadvanced 'farther up the page.

' Ina book-holder, the two jaws having projecting handles, incombination with the intermediate spring connected tothe respectivejaws, as described, so as to press the jaws together, and the pointerpivoted to one of said jaws, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signatnrein presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS ALBIN 'CRABTREE lVitnesses:

Oris S. PLUMER, GEO. iV- Corwin.

One of the holders maybe used on ight be pivoted to the outer face

